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See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

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Technical Stage 1

SET UP: 3 fields 20 x 25yds. plenty of balls. cone goals on two grids. Pugg goals on one grid.

ACTIVITY: Play 2 v 2 for 2 min rounds. Winning pair in each round moves up to the next grid. Grid 1 is the top grid. If you lose you move down to the next grid. Ties are played paper/rock/scissors to determine winner.

COACHING POINTS:

good individual defending technique

appply pressure on the ball

2nd player provide cover

Always defend the goal centrally.

Apply pressure/recover centrally

Don't allow defenders to cross each other (pass players off)

is our head on a swivel to ensure we are always defending the central goal area

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

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Stage 2 - team defensive shifts

SET UP: 2 groups of players in any desired formation. We worked with 3-2-1 formation as we had 12 players

ACTIVITY: Coach has a ball that he moves in different directions. If he pushes ball forward players should drop to defend the deeper ball and call out "drop". If ball is pull backwards, the players move forward and call "push" or "press". If ball is moved left or right, players slide to the right or left while communicating "slide right" or "Shift left"

COACHING POINTS:

verbal communication of direction of team travel

can we maintain same spacing as we move?

can we move together as a unit?

is the whole team talking together? are we on the same page?

can we move quickly in the desired direction

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

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6 v 6 shadow defense

SET UP: play on shortened half field with large goal and GK (if you have one). Plenty of balls at the half way line with coach.

ACTIVITY: this is a form of shadow play. Green team passes the ball around (try to stay 2 touch to give defenders time to move) and yellow defenders must drop/shift/push accordingly. Trying to stay together as a unit with clear communication.

COACHING POINTS:

as above

communication

moving as a unit

decision on when to press or when to just slide

recognize moments to drop below the ball

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.

See the guidance at the top of this page to understand why you are not seeing interactive Football/Soccer images.